Seat frames having appearance of one-piece construction and seat frames having a back support design derived from the frame

Abstract

A seat frame is manufactured from a single continuous elongated member or which has the appearance of being formed from a single continuous elongated piece of material. For example, the seat frame may be formed from a single continuous elongated member such as a tube or wire which is bent or twisted into shape. Alternatively, a plurality of elongated members generally having similar cross-sections may be used to form the seat frame, which has the appearance of one-piece construction. The back may be integral with the seat frame thereby not requiring additional back support material. Further, the back may represent an abstract or a recognizable object.

1. A seat frame consisting of:
 a plurality of legs; 
 a backrest; 
 a support for a seat; 
 wherein said plurality of legs, said backrest, and said support for the seat form said seat frame having an appearance of being integrally formed from a single continuous elongated piece of material having a longitudinal axis along an entire length of the single continuous elongated piece of material and defining a single beginning first end disposed across said longitudinal axis, a single terminating second end disposed across said longitudinal axis, and a single continuous elongated middle portion defining a single continuous uninterrupted course along said entire length of said longitudinal axis between said single beginning first end and said single terminating second end; 
 wherein portions of said single continuous elongated middle portion define a plurality of spaced-apart elongated horizontally-extending supports extending from a front to a back of said seat frame to form said support for the seat, and said single beginning first end is spaced-apart from said single terminating second end; and 
 wherein said single continuous elongated piece of material comprises a generally constant cross-sectional shape taken about said longitudinal axis and along said entire length of said single continuous elongated piece of material, said backrest formed from a portion of said single continuous elongated middle portion, said single beginning first end disposed across said longitudinal axis and said single terminating second end disposed across said longitudinal axis defining ends of first and second legs of said plurality of legs for supporting said seat frame on a surface so that said single beginning first end and said single terminating second end rest on the surface and adjacent terminating end portions extend directly upwardly away from the surface, and portions of said single continuous elongated middle portion defining ends of third and fourth legs of said plurality of legs for supporting said seat frame on the surface. 
 
   
   
     2. The seat frame of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of legs, said backrest, and said support for the seat are formed from a single continuous elongated member. 
   
   
     3. The seat frame of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of legs, said backrest, and said support for the seat are formed from a plurality of elongated members. 
   
   
     4. The seat frame of  claim 1  wherein said backrest comprises a design extending across said backrest having the appearance of being formed from said single continuous elongated piece of material. 
   
   
     5. The seat frame of  claim 1  wherein said backrest comprises a design representing a recognizable object extending across said backrest having the appearance of being formed from said single continuous elongated piece of material. 
   
   
     6. A chair comprising
 a seat frame of  claim 1 , and 
 a seat. 
 
   
   
     7. The seat frame of  claim 1  wherein said single continuous elongated piece of material comprises a metal. 
   
   
     8. The seat frame of  claim 1  wherein said single continuous elongated piece of material comprises a tubular material. 
   
   
     9. The seat frame of  claim 1  wherein said single continuous elongated piece of material comprises a wire material. 
   
   
     10. The seat frame of  claim 1  wherein said single beginning first end disposed across said longitudinal axis and said single terminating second end disposed across said longitudinal axis define ends of two back legs of said plurality of legs for supporting said seat frame on the surface, and portions of said single continuous elongated middle portion define ends of two front legs of said plurality of legs for supporting said seat frame on the surface. 
   
   
     11. A method for forming a seat frame, the method consisting of:
 forming at least one of a single continuous elongated member and a plurality of elongated members into a plurality of legs, a backrest, and a support for a seat, and wherein the plurality of legs, the backrest, and the support for the seat form the seat frame having an appearance of being integrally formed from a single continuous elongated piece of material having a longitudinal axis along an entire length of the single continuous elongated piece of material and defining a single beginning first end disposed across the longitudinal axis, a single terminating second end disposed across the longitudinal axis, and a single continuous elongated middle portion defining a single continuous uninterrupted course along the entire length of the longitudinal axis between the single beginning first end and the single terminating second end, and the single continuous elongated piece of material comprise a generally constant cross-sectional shape taken about the longitudinal axis and along the entire length of the single continuous elongated piece of material, the backrest formed from a portion of the single continuous elongated middle portion, the single beginning first end disposed across the longitudinal axis and the single terminating second end disposed across the longitudinal axis defining ends of first and second legs of the plurality of legs for supporting the seat frame on a surface so that said single beginning first end and said single terminating second end rest on the surface and adjacent terminating end portions extend directly upwardly away from the surface, and portions of the single continuous elongated middle portion defining ends of third and fourth legs of said plurality of legs for supporting the seat frame on the surface. 
 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 11  wherein the forming comprises forming the single continuous elongated member into the plurality of legs, the backrest, and the support for the seat. 
   
   
     13. The method of  claim 11  wherein the forming comprises forming the plurality of elongated members into the plurality of legs, the backrest, and the support for the seat. 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 11  wherein the forming comprises forming the backrest having a design extending across the backrest having the appearance of being formed from the single continuous elongated piece of material. 
   
   
     15. The method of  claim 11  wherein the forming comprises forming the backrest having a design representing a recognizable object extending across the backrest having the appearance of being formed from the single continuous elongated piece of material. 
   
   
     16. The method of  claim 11  further comprising attaching a seat to the support. 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 11  wherein the forming comprises forming portions of the single continuous elongated middle portion to define a plurality of spaced-apart elongated horizontally-extending supports extending from a front to a back of the seat frame to form the support for the seat. 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 11  wherein the forming comprises forming the single continuous elongated middle portion so that the single beginning first end is spaced-apart from the single terminating second end. 
   
   
     19. The method of  claim 11  wherein the forming comprises forming portions of the single continuous elongated middle portion to define a plurality of spaced-apart elongated horizontally-extending supports extending from a front to a back of the seat frame to form the support for the seat, and forming the single continuous elongated middle portion so that the single beginning first end is spaced-apart from the single terminating second end. 
   
   
     20. The method of  claim 11  wherein the single continuous elongated piece of material comprise a metal. 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 11  wherein the single continuous elongated piece of material comprise a tubular material. 
   
   
     22. The method of  claim 11  wherein the single continuous elongated piece of material comprise a wire material. 
   
   
     23. The method of  claim 11  wherein the single beginning first end disposed across the longitudinal axis and the single terminating second end disposed across the longitudinal axis define ends of two back legs of the plurality of legs for supporting the seat frame on the surface, and portions of the single continuous elongated middle portion define ends of two front legs of the plurality of legs for supporting the seat frame on the surface. 
   
   
     24. A seat frame consisting of:
 a plurality of legs; 
 a backrest; 
 a support for a seat; 
 wherein said plurality of legs, said backrest, and said support for the seat form said seat frame having an appearance of being integrally formed from a single continuous elongated piece of material having a longitudinal axis along an entire length of the single continuous elongated piece of material and defining a single beginning first end disposed across said longitudinal axis, a single terminating second end disposed across said longitudinal axis, and a single continuous elongated middle portion defining a single continuous uninterrupted course along said entire length of said longitudinal axis between said single beginning first end and said single terminating second end, and 
 wherein said single continuous elongated piece of material comprises a generally constant cross-sectional shape taken about said longitudinal axis and along said entire length of said elongated piece of material, said single beginning first end spaced-apart from said single terminating second end, said backrest formed from a portion of said single continuous elongated middle portion, and said single beginning first end disposed across said longitudinal axis and said single terminating second end disposed across said longitudinal axis defining two ends of first and second legs of said plurality of legs for supporting said seat frame on a surface so that said single beginning first end and said single terminating second end rest on the surface and adjacent terminating end portions extend directly upwardly away from the surface, and portions of said single continuous elongated middle portion defining ends of third and fourth legs of said plurality of leas for supporting said seat frame on the surface. 
 
   
   
     25. The seat frame of  claim 24  wherein said plurality of legs, said backrest, and said support for the seat are formed from a single continuous elongated member. 
   
   
     26. The seat frame of  claim 24  wherein said plurality of legs, said backrest, and said support for the seat are formed from a plurality of elongated members. 
   
   
     27. The seat frame of  claim 24  wherein said backrest comprises a design extending across said backrest formed from said single continuous elongated piece of material. 
   
   
     28. The seat frame of  claim 24  wherein said backrest comprises a design extending across said backrest formed from said single continuous elongated piece of material representing a recognizable object. 
   
   
     29. The seat frame of  claim 24  wherein said single continuous elongated piece of material comprises a metal. 
   
   
     30. The seat frame of  claim 24  wherein said single continuous elongated piece of material comprises a tubular material. 
   
   
     31. The seat frame of  claim 24  wherein said single continuous elongated piece of material comprises a wire material. 
   
   
     32. A chair comprising
 a seat frame of  claim 24 ; and 
 a seat. 
 
   
   
     33. The seat frame of  claim 24  wherein said single beginning first end disposed across said longitudinal axis and said single terminating second end disposed across said longitudinal axis define ends of two back legs of said plurality of legs for supporting said seat frame on a surface, and portions of said single continuous elongated middle portion define ends of two front legs of said plurality of legs for supporting said seat frame on the surface.